I had a really nice post on Javascript and frameworks going here… really I did. Asking questions about whether people actually surf with Javascript off. Wondering if JQuery or Prototype were being given a free pass about the whole degrading/failing gracefully sort of mindset held by most standards focused designers/developers out there. I did.

Then, Firefox crashed. How did it crash… I went to Digg.com and turned off Javascript with my Web Developer toolbar. Gah.

Anyway, the question is valid. Who has Javascript turned off while surfing? Of course, using custom attributes or some sort of crazy non-standards compliant trickery is not nice. But really, it’s 2007. Can’t we depend on if we send the client a script for media type = screen, can’t we depend that the functions will be executed? Can’t we trust that our cool fades/reveals and asynchronous data requests to XMLRPC / SOAP webservices will work flawlessly? This blog post raises the same questions.

I’m torn. On one hand, yes, I realize that the site you are slaving over needs to at least offer a minimal amount of functionality to all users, script enabled or not, but do we need to provide an equal experience? I sure hope not.

Flash sites exist because they enhance an experience… I think that with these new breed of interactive RIA like sites with AJAX will occupy a similar but equally as important space as these Flash sites. They enhance an application. They make things like a page refresh a bad memory. They produce a more seamless interaction platform. They make people happy while they use your site/application. All of these seem like a win to me.

Wetblankets beware, you will probably have someone in a position above you asking, “Why doesn’t our site have fading menus and sliding windows?”.

This year has a lot of great things in store for us. Do you play video games? If so, check out all the cool games that are coming out for the Wii. Movies, got you covered, too.

1. Super Smash Brothers Brawl - Yowza! I love SSBM on the Cube so much. Unlocked just about everything. Hours and hours of time spent mashing buttons and drinking beer with buddies. SSBB looks to more of the same, with better graphics, more playable characters, more arenas… More More More! Will it be internet enabled? Maybe. Hope so! There are a few other games out there coming in 2007 that look great, too, but this is the biggie for me.
2. Visiting New York - Some time this year I will be going back to the big apple to visit my buddy Max. He’s a law student at Brooklyn Law and runs a student site there. Maybe after his and my finals, I will be on my way to go visit him. I already got the go ahead from Renee, so it looks like I’m golden there, so now, I just need to save my pennies.
3. Vacation (post baby) – The plan is that by the end of 2007, Renee and I will be taking a trip to somewhere nice and warm. We like Mexico, so that’s a likely candidate, but who knows. California would be cool, maybe Costa Rica, too. We’ll just see what kinda deals are out there, but I definitely want to get out of the Midwest a bit.
4. Summer Movies - Spideman 3, Transformers, woohoo! Can’t wait to see some “asplosions”. I’m honestly a bit mixed about the actual design of some of the characters in both of those movies, but there is only so much you can tell from sneak peeks and trailers.
5. Interpol’s Third Album – One of my favorite current bands… they’re due for a new album before the end of the year. Hurry up, I’m entirely not gloomy enough.
6. iPhone, iPhone, I want phone! – The gadget lust is thick and I’m really having problems waiting for June for this thing. Seriously.
7. Car? - Somehow, if I can swing it, I’m going to try and get a new car. My 2001 Hyundai Accent is over 76k miles and I’m really just tired of it. It’s been a good car, but man… 6 years is a long time to own something that you use pretty much everyday. What’ll I get? Hopefully something hybrid. I would love a Prius, Civic Hybrid or something similiar, but really I just need a four door with good fuel economy and a connection for my iPod. Priorities, you know.

So, I usually run the Super Bowl matchup on my Madden. This year, Madden 07 on my Wii.

I was especially intrigued to do so after reading the article about EA doing the same thing. Playing a best 2 out of 3 set of games with them alternating home and away, using All-Madden levels and a slight amount of rain… Here are my results this year.

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Is it an afro or perhaps a greaser do?

I have been developing flash long enough to become jaded in regards to getting sent links to the newest hot Flash sites out there. Big deal. We have seen enough tweens and clever perspective tricks. Integrated video? How 2005. Blurs and dynamic dropshadows. *yawn* Granted, yes, the art is fantastic. The blurring of lines between video effects and Flash is awesome. But, the drawbacks have long been enough for me to say that a site should primarily be built with HTML and only have smatterings of Flash throughout it.

Where does this lack of enthusiasm come from? Partially from the fact that navigating a large monolithic 100% Flash based site is cumbersome. It’s impenetrable by search engines. It’s impossible to bookmark. Sending a URL for a specific screen/scene in a movie to a friend. Fuggeddabouddit.

Anyway… I’m starting to warm to the idea of some of the projects I have going at work because of some great new scripts coming out that allow us to get around some of those issues. The brilliant SWFObject was a great first step in solving the non-standard compliant “

I have a couple of projects currently inflight that will be deployed some time this quarter that will be using both of these libraries. I’m excited once again by the prospect of producing a Flash based site for a client. These scripts have freed me from my typical “killjoy” anti-flash stance by helping me be able to produce more accessible multimedia.